The Red Knave
The Red Knave is a stolen western ship which caused havoc in the Eganian Sea, captained by Kenneth RowIey a lawful sailor turned pirate. The Red Knave is notably known for sinking the flagship of Colter Stratford, The Hangman. Kenneth and his crew now work on and off with the Western Kingdom acting as lawless privateers. Built for battle, square rigged for speed, and equipped for lengthy tours, there is no frigate better prepared on the high seas. The main purpose of this ship was to originally trade and transport goods between the continents of Azura. Now with some special changes to the hull and rigging, the ship now hosts some mean firepower and even greater speeds than it's original body. There are rumours The Red Knave gets it high speeds from the use of mancers, giving the ship and it's crew a worse reputation in the Western Kingdom. History Early use It is unknown when The Red Knave was originally built, but it eventually came into service under The Golden Banner as a trade ship. It had many tours in the Eganian Sea before it was mutinied by Kenneth Rowley, giving the ship it's widely known name. Under Kenneth's Rule The ship got it's new name shortly after Kenneth was instated captain of the ship through mutiny. The name came from the deceitfulness and lies of it's captain, after many fraudulent trades and sinking of 'allied' ships. The Red Knave went on to make a decent dent in the trade on the Eganian Sea, plundering ships from all different continents and engaging in many skirmishes with navies and other pirates along the way. Kenneth wrote the laws of being apart of his crew in the early years of his role as captain. These laws were followed strictly aboard The Red Knave and other ships who supported Kenneth in hopes if they were to ever be boarded he may spare them. Most other pirate laws have taken inspiration from Kenneth's Law, leading some to claim it was the first ever pirate law to exist. This is untrue however as there have been many pirates and many laws before Kenneth's quill even touched the parchment. End of a Nightmare It was The Red Knave who had put an end to the longest running pirate on the seas. Nicknamed "Nightmare of the Sea", Colter Stratford was the most infamous pirate who sailed the four seas, known mostly for his proficient racketeering and reckless murder of his plundered prey. His pirating career came to an end on one unfortunate night when his ship was tailed by The Red Knave soon after leaving a port in Hallmond. The Red Knave was a faster ship, catching up to The Hangman not only through it's speed but when it's chaser cannons were fired, breaking one of The Hangman's masts. Quickly after The Hangman steered left, followed by The Red Knave and what ensued was an unforgettable gunfight between the two beasts of the sea. The fight ended with Colter's ship bested, most of it's cannons disabled and The Red Knave creeping close enough to board. Colter was killed in the bloody sword fight on board, dying alongside his crew. It was this night in which Kenneth had made an addition to his crew with the death of one of his best riggers at the hands of Piper Vossler, a deckhand who jumped to The Red Knave during the fight. Instead of killing her on the spot, he had bound her to a life debt and forced her to work aboard his ship to make up for the life she took. Kenneth taunted her by taking Colter's hat and wearing it as his own, using it as a constant reminder of what he is capable of accomplishing. This battle was later known as The Dethrone of the Nightmare's Hangman Western Alignment Kenneth and his crew are not the most liked people in the Western Kingdom, as they were previously wanted on multiple accounts of piracy and murder. These crimes were later pardoned after a deal arranged between a Western General and Kenneth, as he had killed the most wanted pirate in the Golden Banner. This deal made his crew personal pirates for the West, pirating in secret for the Golden Banner. Unknowingly to the General, he had just cut a deal with the most two-faced pirate to sail the four seas. This deal, although keeping them safe from Western navy attacks, did not stop Kenneth from covertly plundering Western trade ships. It may seem odd to sink ships of your ally, but in the eye's of Kenneth the West still sails the fattest ships there is and no agreement is going to stop him from making a fortune. This ties into the greedy nature of Kenneth Rowley, showing just how little care he has for anything which doesn't further himself.